


The Watcher of Time

by Dimensional_Nexus



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Action, F/F, F/M, HELLA SPOILERS, Humor, Mystery, Romance, and more Tags to Come!, surprise crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 12:55:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6805471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dimensional_Nexus/pseuds/Dimensional_Nexus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The storm, Max's powers, everything was so much bigger than they could have imagined, but they'll pull through, they always do.</p><p>SUSPENDED UNTIL BEFORE THE STORM PLAYS OUT FULLY! There's a lot the happens pre-series in my plan for the fic, so I'd like to have the most complete picture possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wake

**Author's Note:**

> Why, hello, AO3! How are you this fine evening? I'm good, just posting my first fic here and everything. Just got my copy of the Limited Edition of our favorite time-travel adventure in the mail and it inspired me to put word to page for an idea that's been banging around in my head. It is a crossover, but I won't be tagging that or telling you explicitly with what any time soon. Suffice to say, shit is going to get crazy pretty quick. The first couple chapters, including this teaser prologue, will go off the rails, but things will slow down a bit after that and Chloe and Max will start asking all the questions you will probably have as well. Prologue title is from the instrumental of the same name by Linkin Park.
> 
> Disclaimer (for the whole shebang): I don't own Life is Strange, outside my three copies of the game, that honor belongs to DONTNOD and Square Enix. Any song titles I use for chapter names also belong to their respective artists. I also don't own the other thing, but I'll bring that up again later.

_What are you fighting for?_

_Huh?_

_As shitty as you think everything is, why not just drift off, let it end?_

_I can't!_

_Why, though?_ _**Really**_ _think about it, what's keeping you here?_

_I don't even know where here is, or what's going on._

_Well, it won't matter for much longer of you don't answer the question._

\---

It was amazing, Max reflected, that a sound which brought her such joy could be corrupted into something so disgusting. Her present mind in her barely conscious past body wanted so badly to knock the camera from Jefferson's hands, to smash it over his head and keep hitting until the image of an empty-eyed Chloe falling into a pool of her own blood was somehow erased from her mind. She knew it wasn't rational, but she was hardly in a position to be. The teacher she had respected so much was some kind of awful serial killer, Nathan had killed Rachel in some sick attempt to imitate him, and Chloe was dead! As that terrifying, devastating thought crept in once more, she felt the "photo world" fade away, the present reasserting itself. There had to be something, some way to go back and help Chloe, to save her again!

_\---_

_Max!_

_Hmm?_

_I remember her calling out to me. She was so damn quiet, like she was falling asleep or something, but she sounded so scared. I need to get back to her!_

_Oh, so she's why you're fighting so hard? Why you're clinging to life so desperately?_

_Clinging to . . . ?_

_Yeah, I wasn't kidding, you know? Lose this battle and it's lights out._

_Figures! She's saved my hide so many times this week, and, when she needs me, I'm lying around dying like a bitch!_

_Well, you're not quite dead yet, so how about a little optimism?_

\---

Joyce didn't know what was wrong, but damned if she didn't know something was. A nameless dread had settled in her mind and it left her unable to sit still. She was, instead, nursing a glass of David's whiskey and pacing the living room. The thought of her husband only made her feel worse. She loved the man deeply, but his betrayal of her trust cut deep and she hadn't let herself think too hard on whether or not it was something she could forgive. The man he was, really was, deep down was undoubtedly ashamed of his actions, but she didn't know whether that was enough. That depressing thought in mind, she drained the rest of the tumbler. After tossing it in the sink, she ambled to her room to at least give sleep a try, she had a shift in the morning, after all. Hopefully Chloe and Max would turn up to entertain her a little.

_\---_

_What are you talking about?_

_You are not dead **yet**. Never will be, actually, if you can find a way to fight through this._

_I find it hard to believe that it's that easy._

_Who said anything about easy? It's gonna take every ounce of strength you have to claw your way back to life, and twice that to get up and go help your girl._

_She's worth it._

_Then get your ass up!_

_\---_

David squeezed every bit of velocity he could get out of his car racing toward the Prescott farm. He'd found the evidence the girls had put together and he'd be damn proud if he weren't convinced they were in over their heads. Something wasn't sitting right in his gut and, whatever they thought of him, he wasn't going to let them go it alone. He only wished he'd found it sooner. It looked like everything had been sitting there a while and that only made him worry even more. All he was running on was the faint hope that he wasn't too late.

\---

Somewhere in the woods near the Prescott farm a patch of recently disturbed earth began to shift. After a few seconds, a hand burst through the dirt, followed soon after by a second, both beginning to frantically claw at the soil which covered the body to which they were attached. Finally, coughing and sputtering, her chest heaving as she drew in lung fulls of air, Chloe Price hauled herself out of the shallow grave into which she'd been tossed. There was a strange, red aura clinging to her body as she crouched there, regaining her faculties, and when she finally opened her eyes, their irises were much the same. They faded back to normal after a moment, the aura dissipating as well.

Her voice was raspy, rough as she called into the night, "I'm coming for you, Max, just hold on!"

 


	2. The Thing That Should Not Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the darkness below, it sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, this one's a fucking door stopper. They probably won't all be this long, I'm pretty sure, but I had a lot to get out. This alternate Episode 5 sets up a lot for the future plot and as such there will be a lot of stuff happening that may not have proper answers for a while. It gets pretty crazy and downright insane at the end, but the next few chapters will slow down a lot and be more about figuring things out, along with some fluff. Enjoy, and feel free to point out any errors so I can fix them. Chapter title is from Metallica's song of the same name.

It was so dark that it was almost as if light had been robbed from the world. The clouds had gathered and opened up in what seemed to be mere moments, and an idle part of David's mind wondered if the sun would even rise. If not for his high beams, he would have plowed straight through the side of the barn on the old Prescott farm. He knew he was in the right place, the sleek car outside proved that, but it was a struggle to see just a foot in front of his face, let alone find anything tangible in the barn through the narrow beam of his flashlight. He'd just cleared the left side when the door was violently thrown open, almost off its hinges. He swung the light towards the noise, only to meet the absolutely furious eyes of his step-daughter. She cleared the distance between them in barely a fraction of a second and threw him against the wall with little effort.

"Are you in on this?" she roared at him, her voice rough.

"No, God no, Chloe. I found your evidence board and put it all together," he gasped, the wind knocked out of him. They shared a look, Chloe's intense gaze meeting his own pleading eyes. She had to know that he'd never do something like this, right?

"Good," she rasped, dropping him and storming over to the other side of the barn. David shook his head, clearing the daze. When he finally got a good look at the girl, he noticed dirt caked on her, everywhere. The rain had cut streaks through the layer of filth but it hadn't been enough to wash it away completely. It was almost like she'd been . . . He cut himself off there, unwilling to accept even the thought that he'd failed that badly. "Could you shine that light over here?"

Her voice snapped him back to reality. "Sure thing," he replied, shining the flashlight at her, then to where she was pointing, revealing a trap door in the floor of the barn. They moved towards it and a yank from Chloe showed that it was locked tight from the inside.

-

 _I don't have time for this, Max is down there!_ Chloe raged. She grabbed the handle with both hands and spread her feet out, pulling as hard as she could. As she felt her muscles begin to strain and heard David tell her to stop, she felt that strength from before surge. The power that had given her the ability to crawl out of her own grave flooded every inch of her and suddenly the entire trap door tore free. Staring down at the large hunk of metal in her hands, she ignored the why for the moment and tossed it aside. She looked towards David and almost chuckled at how wide his eyes were. The thought of Max in the Dark Room killed the humor of the moment and she quickly charged down the stairs, coming to a stop staring at the stupid keypad. _Shit, breaking this will probably just keep the damn door shut._

"I'll get this one," David said, walking forward and trying a few of the same numbers Max had just hours ago. The door lock released just a second or two later, and David was halfway through telling her to be careful and take it slow when she whipped the door open and stormed inside. Around the corner she locked eyes with Mark-fucking-Jefferson, a syringe in his gloved hands. He stood over Max, who was strapped to a chair in the middle of the "studio" area.

"You?" she growled, "It was you this whole fucking time?"

Jefferson and Max both just looked at her with shock evident in their eyes. Jefferson dropped the needle and frantically replaced it with a handgun from a nearby shelf as quick as he could, leveling it at Chloe for what she now knew was the second time. "I killed you, you were dead. I carried you into the fucking woods and buried you, how the fuck are you standing here?"

Chloe didn't say a word, she was far too angry for words, just stalked towards the obviously deranged photography teacher/serial killer in front of her. This man was ultimately responsible for Rachel's death, had kidnapped Max, and had damn near killed Chloe herself! He didn't hesitate to fire, the bullet hitting her square in the chest and rocking her back on her feet.

"Chloe!" she heard Max and David call out simultaneously. She could tell from her voice that Max was practically weeping and it made her livid. How dare this piece of shit do anything to make her best friend cry. A crimson aura flared to life around her at the thought, her eyes burning red as she glared at Jefferson. After a second, she kept closing the distance, shrugging off shots until the clip ran empty.

"Just fucking die already!" Jefferson screamed, becoming ever more unhinged as she drew closer. When she was within arm's reach he threw a punch, which she caught with ease, bones audibly breaking as she squeezed.

"You first." She grabbed him around the throat and hoisted him off the ground, ignoring his flailing as he desperately tried to catch a breath.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she loosened her grip slightly, looking over at David. "Chloe, that's not a decision you can take back. Trust me," he said softly, his eyes beseeching her to understand as he met hers, still burning red.

"He deserves it!" she growled. There was a strange echo to her voice, and her breathing was heavy, with a rasp that made it sound like she was snarling each breath.

"Maybe, but it's not a choice to be made lightly. It will haunt you," here he gave a shuddering breath, something obviously haunting **him**. "Please, just take a second and think."

She took a deep breath and the red faded from her eyes. She looked from David, still pleading with her, to Max, who was staring at the three other people in the room, tears still running from her eyes and looking so utterly lost. The aura, too, faded as she let Jefferson fall to the ground in a heap. David immediately pounced on the man, restraining him as Chloe took a step back. "Go take care of Max, Chloe, I've got him."

"Thanks," she whispered, rushing to Max's side and tearing away the straps keeping her held down. Max immediately launched herself at her best friend, hugging her as hard as she could. Chloe held her just as tightly, relieved that she was okay.

"I thought you were gone for good this time," Max whispered breathlessly into her shoulder, somehow hugging her even tighter.

"It'll take a lot more than him to keep me down, Max."

They just stood there for a minute, relishing each other's presence until a loud crack of thunder seemed to shake the very earth. "The storm!"

"It came out of nowhere," David confirmed, joining the girls after putting some of Jefferson's own restraints to use.

"Not nowhere," Max muttered darkly, staring at her right hand.

"Max, this isn't your fault. We'll figure it out," Chloe promised, pulling Max back to her.

-

For just a moment, Max wasn't in her best friend's arms, reveling in the comfort, she was on the cliff by the lighthouse, rain buffeting her face as she watched the massive vortex spiral towards Arcadia Bay. When she came back, Chloe was shaking her slightly, concern pulling at every inch of her dirt-streaked face. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"I had another vision. I need to get to the lighthouse. It's hard to explain, but something's telling me that's where I need to be."

"You mean 'we'," Chloe responded without missing a beat. Putting a finger over Max's lips as she began to protest, she shook her head, "No way in hell am I letting you go alone. End of conversation."

Max just looked at her for a second and nodded, taking Chloe's hand in her own, giving it a squeeze.

"Girls, I don't think it's a good idea to leave this place at all. Putting aside that Chloe tore off the trap door," Max gave Chloe a look, "being down here is a lot safer than being out there."

"David, this is really hard to explain, but we need to go. I think we can stop this storm somehow, but we need to get to the lighthouse," Max pleaded with the older man, already moving towards the door, tugging Chloe along.

"Any other day, any other time, I'd probably call you crazy and tell you to stay put, but after watching Chloe shrug off an entire clip without a scratch, I've given up understanding what's going on. Just be careful, okay?"

"Will do, David," Max responded.

As they went their separate ways, Chloe turned back towards her step-father. With a significant look, she smiled and told him, "You, too. Take care of yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded, giving her a salute with a small grin.

\---

On their way back to town in Jefferson's car, Chloe ended up driving one-handed, Max not willing to relinquish the other. Chloe wasn't going to complain and occasionally looked over to offer the other girl a reassuring smile.

"Are we just gonna not gonna talk about this?" Max asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Chloe, Jefferson shot you. In the head," Max replied, obviously still distressed by the thought, her voice catching.

"Hey, relax, I'm here, and that's what's important," she squeezed the other girl's hand, adding physical reassurance to her words. "You can rewind time, and I'm apparently from Krypton. I'll admit it's hella weird, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth."

"I wonder if William and Joyce found you in a ship in the Bay," Max mused, a little grin on her face.

"Nope, I've seen photos, crashed right into the garage. Had to tell the neighbors Dad blew up his car."

"Jeez, I thought Jor-El had better aim."

"His aim was fine, he's just a dick."

Max was unable to respond, the sheer absurdity of the conversation they were having sending her into a fit of giggles. She released Chloe's hand to clutch at her stomach as she laughed harder than she had in days. "Dog, I'm so glad you're okay."

"You and me both, Max. It was a near thing, but I'm good."

\---

They were stopped just outside the town proper by a pile of crashed cars in the middle of the road. The rain was pounding, the wind howling ever faster. Streaks of lightning across the sky were accompanied by absolutely deafening thunder, and they had to keep hold of each other because it was so damn dark. Stumbling over cars, they made their way through the town, helping people where they could. Eventually, they ended up in front of the Two Whales and Chloe had to see if her Mom was inside.

"Mom!" Chloe called out as they entered through the back door. "You okay?"

"Chloe!" Joyce ran from inside the dining room and gathered Chloe up in her arms. She noticed Max a half-second later and pulled her in, too. "I'm so glad you two are okay."

"You, too, Joyce," Max responded, enjoying the warmth after her recent experiences and just because the rain was freezing.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm glad you're ok-" Chloe was cut off by a cry from the dining room. The three of them rushed out of the kitchen only to see Warren collapse against the counter, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Looking towards the front window, they saw that a large piece of wood, probably ripped from the docks, had speared through the glass.

Almost immediately, Chloe felt the world begin to shift. Her superpowers had taken the pressure off Max as they made their way through the town and she hadn't needed to rewind until now. Chloe watched open-mouthed as everything began to flow backwards around the two of them, the sound muted and Max's face screwed up in concentration as she held out her right hand. As time began to flow normally, Max finally noticed that it apparently hadn't affected Chloe. Just as the question was forming, Chloe sprang forward, leaping over the bar and, standing in front of Warren, braced herself.

"Umm, hel-holy shit!" he cried as the large dock spar flew in through the window right into Chloe's waiting hands. She rocked back on her heels as she absorbed the momentum, and dropped it to the ground a second later.

Chloe shook her hands out slightly, that one had stung a bit, and grinned at Warren, "'Sup?"

Max and Warren both just stared at her, both with so many questions about very different subjects. Warren recovered first, "Several things, all of them can be reduced to simply, what the fuck?"

Chloe flexed, "I'm SuperChloe, duh!"

"Well, it's as good an explanation as any I have. A-anyways, thanks!” he stuttered out, the reality of what had almost happened catching up to him. “That probably would have splattered me across the bar."

"No problem, dude. Any friend of Max's is at least worth catching a flying piece of dock for."

"Right . . . that was a completely normal sentence."

"About as close as you'll get with Chloe," Max said, shaking her head, her eyes telling Chloe that they'd need to talk about this later. "I'm glad you're okay, Warren."

"Chloe, Max?" Joyce walked out from the back, "I could've sworn I heard you two in the back, must be going crazy."

"Nah, just kinda echoy in here, right, Max?"

"Yeah, echoes, totally," Max agreed, keeping her response as simple as possible. Dog, she was such a shitty liar.

"Yep, weird echoes. Chloe was up here, totally saving my bacon. Pulled me outta the way when that happened," Warren said, pointing at the log now hanging out the front window. He hoped the almost-disaster would distract Joyce, he had the feeling neither girl wanted to explain what had just happened at the moment.

"Oh, my, are you both okay?" Joyce asked, checking the both of them over anyway.

"We're fine, Mom," Chloe replied, trying to fend off the mother henning. A loud bark stopped all the chuckling and a second later, Pompidou came charging through the back, shaking all the water out of his fur. His owner followed just a few moments later and did the same before plopping down on a stool.

"Crazy weather we're having, huh?" he asked, pulling out a pack of soaked cigarettes. A disgusted look on his face, he tossed them across the restaurant, "Dammit."

"Well, hello to you, too, Frank. I'd make you the usual, but . . . " Joyce trailed off, waving a hand towards the darkened restaurant.

"I'm not really all that hungry, anyway. You girls find out anything?" he asked, his eyes betraying the fact that a part of him wished the answer was no.

"Yeah, Frank, we did," Chloe responded, her voice quiet as she led Frank to the side. Her face was tight, obviously still uncomfortable with Frank and Rachel's past relationship, and most definitely not looking forward to telling him about his unwitting role as the go-to drug supplier for a serial killer's apprentice.

"Max, you wanna tell me what's going on?" Joyce fixed the small brunette with a look and she caved in barely half a second.

"We gathered a bunch of evidence, including some stuff from Frank, to see if we could find out what happened to Rachel," Max responded, her eyes turning down as she remembered the results. "We found her body."

Joyce gasped, a look of horror coming over her face, and she was at Chloe's side instantly, wrapping the girl in a hug. Chloe looked at her, and then back to a slightly sheepish looking Max. She couldn't hold it against her friend, so she just relaxed back against her mother as she continued her story. Frank seemed to be holding it together for the most part, until Chloe told him who exactly had killed Rachel and with what. He unraveled then, slowly collapsing to the floor, refusing to break down crying, but not needing to. Pompidou nuzzled into his side and Joyce sat next to him, throwing an arm across his shoulders. She knew what he was going through and it was a pain she'd wish on no one. Chloe watched her mother comfort Frank, and felt that it was time to leave. The storm was only getting worse and she couldn't let herself fall into the pit of sorrow that Rachel's death had opened in her heart again. Sharing a sad smile with her mother, she turned back to Max and caught her eye. The other girl gave Warren a hug and, even as he protested their leaving, they slipped out the back.

\---

The storm had whipped itself to full strength by the time they got to the lighthouse. A massive cyclone hovering in the Bay, slowly but surely drawing closer to the town. "Well, Max, now would be great for some time mojo. Where are we supposed to go?"

"Um, I . . . I'm not sure. The vision only went as far as lighthouse."

"Well, shit, that's not really helpful. Inside the lighthouse, maybe?"

"It's as good a theory as any," Max admitted as they escaped the pounding rain into the tower. Unfortunately, it was as plain as could be, just a bare stone room and a spiral staircase. Max was about to say something sarcastic when she noticed Chloe staring at a patch of wall. "Um, Chloe, are the stones speaking to you?"

"Hey, Max, we used to fuck around in here all the time, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I never noticed this thing before, and I'm pretty sure no one's been up here for more than just basic maintenance. So, the fuck?" Chloe asked, pointing at a blank patch of wall.

"Chloe, it's just a wall, there's nothing there."

-

 _The fuck?_ Chloe asked herself as Max looked at her strangely. To Chloe's eyes only, apparently, there was a carving on the wall depicting some massive serpent with its maw wrapped around the tip of its tail. Inside the circle formed by the beast was a large handprint, its fingers pointed like claws. Deciding to just describe it, she opened her mouth only to close it a second later, _What the fuck are they called again?_

"Max, do you remember what the name for a snake eating it's own tail is?"

"An Ouroboros, I think."

"Well, there's one right here, carved into the wall," she explained, tracing the circle of the serpent with her finger as she did. Her voice became slightly distant as she was distracted by an odd conviction that the carving was watching her. A feeling similar to the power that had saved her life was now radiating from the wall, as if her touch had woken it up.

"Chloe?"

Chloe didn't respond, she merely splayed her fingers over the handprint and felt the power from the wall increase in intensity. She heard Max gasp behind her as her crimson aura flared to life again, brighter than any time before. It flowed from her hand, outlining the carving and making its eyes burn as her own had. A voice, similar but not identical to the one she'd heard in her head while buried, echoed in her mind. _Blood may pass, but beware the beast's power. It is_ _ **not**_ _to be taken lightly._ They heard some kind of mechanism whirring behind the wall, and both took a step back. After a few seconds, a section of the wall slid to the side, revealing a large elevator platform, itself another Ouroboros.

"What the fuck just happened, Chloe?"

"Apparently I'm related to the wall, and there's some kind of beast we need to not take lightly. Well, fuck it at this point, right?" She asked, holding out her hand to Max.

"Yeah, fuck it," Max agreed, taking the proffered hand and following Chloe onto the platform. As Chloe stepped onto the elevator, its own carving's eyes glowed bright red and the wall slid shut again, plunging them into darkness as the platform began to descend.

In a moment, they were below the Bay, the water being held into a proper elevator shaft by some unseen force. The girls' mouths hung open at the blatant impossibility of what they were experiencing. The platform hit the apparent bottom after a moment, and then continued forward, zooming them out into the open ocean, where the water seemed impossibly deep. Max cuddled into Chloe's side as the darkness of the water seemed to close in on them. The platform stopped in a large sphere of trapped air, an altar of some kind before them.

"Well, not to sound like a broken record, but what the fuck?" Max whispered, almost afraid to break the unnatural silence that gripped the area.

"Right there with ya, Super Max," Chloe agreed, just as unnerved as the girl currently glued to her side, but they had to figure this out. They could see the storm's roiling effect on the water currents above their heads and it only made things more urgent. The altar on the undersea platform was a simple one, positioned on a dais near the center of the platform. Another Ouroboros, but inside the circle of this one was the depiction of a large hammer, a lightning bolt engraved on its head. On the front of the raised area was some kind of tablet. The language carved on it was, unfortunately, pure fucking gibberish to the both of them. "Shit! A hint in English too much to ask for?"

The entire platform gave a violent shift, 'causing the girls to hold each other even tighter. A sudden ripple passed through the whatever-it-was holding back the water, and Chloe was forced to release Max as she sank to her knees. She gave a small cry as power erupted from within her. Her aura returned, deep crimson and bright enough to light the area as her eyes burned red again. Max backed up a step as the energy radiating from her best friend hit her like a physical force. "Chloe, Chloe, are you okay?"

"Better than okay, Max, so much better than just okay!" Chloe said, a grin spreading across her face as the power calmed down from asserting itself. It felt like she had a piece of herself back that she hadn't known was missing. It was like bonding with Max again these past few days, or her mother actually smiling at her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she rose from the ground. When they reopened, they were the normal blue and the aura was gone. "Man, whatever I was working with before was like, tip of the fucking iceberg."

"Well, as soon as you come down from your power trip, we still have a storm to stop," Max playfully scolded her.

"Pshh, I'll just go punch it."

"Chloe, I don't think brute force is quite the approach here."

"Oh, you're just jealous you're not SuperChl-" Chloe was cut off by a massive roar, that seemed to shake the very planet. The barrier keeping out the water shuddered harshly and they were afraid it would give out any second. Chloe heard Max whimper in fear and followed her line of sight to a pair of piercing red eyes out in the water, each one nearly the size of the damn lighthouse. Chloe pulled Max behind her and they began backing towards the elevator. Suddenly, Max broke away and charged toward the altar, pulling out her camera even as the outline of something began to form in the ocean. It was like it was slightly out of sync with reality and was slowly phasing back in. There was a flash as Max snapped a photo of the carving and stashed both it and her camera as the envelope of air they were in began to collapse, thin streams of water piercing through. Chloe dashed forward and scooped Max up in her arms, charging back towards the elevator and clearing the distance just as the creature's outline solidified. It roared again as the elevator began to move and the barrier collapsed. A flood of water was suddenly chasing the platform down the path and Chloe growled, holding Max tighter and willing them to move quicker. She flared her power in desperation and they picked up speed. Chloe almost cried out in happiness, but focused on pumping every ounce of energy she had to keep their speed up. They hit the turn and Chloe nearly fell over, but just barely managed to stay on her feet as they abruptly began shooting upward. The wall was still sliding as they hit the top and Chloe squeezed them past and barreled through the lighthouse door, a massive flood of water following. They collapsed against the side of the lighthouse, breathing heavily as they recovered from the shock.

"Well, that was fucking helpful," Max ground out, and Chloe could tell she was beyond frustrated. Her only lead had been nothing, and it seemed like Arcadia Bay was doomed.

"Not now, no, but it will be. You're a time traveler, remember?"

"Chloe, my time traveling caused all this!"

"After what we just saw, I really don't think so. Something else is going on and we've completely missed it."

The beast gave another roar below the water and they saw more tornadoes begin to form along the coast. Chloe reached into her jacket pocket, and handed Max the photo that had started everything. A little butterfly perched on a bucket in the restroom. It was a little worse for wear, but still intact.

"Chloe, I don't want to leave you. I can't do all this alone."

"You won't have to, just beat whatever you need to into my head and if I say anything, just tell me I gave you permission. What choice do we have? However strong I've become, that thing is stronger. I can feel it, like a weight crushing my chest. We have to find a way to head it off.”

"Chloe, if this doesn't work, I just want you to know that, despite the craziness, these have been some of the best days of my life. Reconnecting with you and hanging out again."

Chloe pulled the girl close and smiled, "Same here, Max, but we'll figure this out, I know we will. You know why?"

Max looked up and their eyes met. They began to drift closer and after a moment Chloe leaned down to capture Max's lips with her own. It was quick and chaste, but it was what they needed in the moment. They shared a smile and Max answered, "'Cause we're together."

"Right in one. You're on fire, Caulfield. So head on back, and have faith we'll get through this."

Max cuddled into Chloe's side and raised the photo in front of her face, focusing on the details as the world began to shift. The feeling of her head on Chloe's shoulder, of the other girl's arms around her slowly faded and everything went white.

 


End file.
